Naruto, the Childhood Friend
by WouldItMatter
Summary: Naruto had been in the forest with Kurome and Akame. He had befriended the two prior to the event. But, Akame didn't see him much like she didn't see Kurome after they were separated. Now, both Naruto and Kurome return, a shining pair of Katana's on their backs. What exactly happened? Rated M. Naruto x Kurome x Akame and potentially Esdeath.
1. Chapter 1

Two figures slowly crept through the darkened capital, slinking through the shadows and the crowds, calmly making their way towards a small mansion, intent on calmly making a good pace through the night-time people. Both wore dark cloaks, with a smaller figure leading the larger one. Both had Katana Holsters on their backs, one being of a deep purple color on the shorter figure, while the taller figure's holster was a black that was so dark it looked as if the air around it darkened to match its void. Their faces were shadowed, perfectly hiding their identities. The larger figure looked up slightly, catching two shadows that just barely caught his vision, a testament to their speed.

"It seems we've been beat." A male's voice called out, looking down at the cloaked head of the figure in front of him. "Yes, it would seem that way. I wonder if Nee-san will be among them." This time, the voice of a girl called out, continuing the slow pace towards the mansion, merely walking up the long dirt path that lead to the isolated building. "Hehe, it would be nice to see Aka-chan again." The male responded in a fond tone, walking next to the girl to his right. "Yes, it would be nice to see Akame." The girl muttered next to him, in a far darker tone than before. The boy merely nodded calmly, entering the mansion after the girl, naturally holding the door open for her.

As they walked, the boy looked around the mansion. "It's relatively… un-flashy? I don't know the word that I'm looking for. Either way, it's surprising to see." The boy remarked, staring at the almost common-people level of furniture in the mansion. "The Client was worried that he would spend too much money on material things, choosing to save and invest. Now he could lose his life though." The girl explained, slipping closer to the boy and slinking her arms around his waist, the boy having no reaction, merely continuing his walk as if the girl wasn't tied around him, her head leaning on his shoulder.

"Ah, there's the client!" The boy exclaimed, rushing forward leaving the girl to catch up, the boy happily jumping in front of the man and shaking his hand, though his cloak remained on. The Client was an older gentleman in a white suit, gray hair pulled back into a small pony-tail with a bushy mustache covering most of his mouth. He taped his cane on the ground lightly, shaking the boy's hand with a smile. "Haha! So you are the protection I ordered!? Splendid!" The man remarked, twirling around in sudden fear. "You will protect me right? They could be anywhere…" The man remarked, his eyes scrambling about the room.

"Yes, we are very capable of protecting you." The girl stated, climbing onto the boy's back, his hands automatically slipping underneath her thighs to grip her, again not acknowledging her presence on his back. "Ah, Client-san! I will now find any potential assassins in the room!" the boy informed, before suddenly he slumped over slightly, the girl on his back getting off and sitting down in front of him. The air around him began to darken, two small white lights coming out from underneath the shadowed hood. The boy straightened his back again, looking around his room. He gazed around for a little white, until his head snapped up to a corner of the ceiling. "Aha! There are three of them!" The boy shouted happily, the glow of the hood disappearing along with the darkened air. "Hehe, Client-san!" The boy called out, turning around, only to find that the Client had already ran.

"He is a coward, surely." The girl stated, still seated on the ground, the cloak covering her appearance. "No, he is smart! Those three, they are strong. They are probably from… what was it called? Light Nade? Right Maid? Aha! Night Raid!" The boy shouted, only to jumped back as a small beam passed by where he once was, before he picked up the girl and jumped far away back, grateful for the large room as three people made themselves present. One was a tall blonde woman wearing a rather provocative outfit, with two big lion paws and a slightly feral appearence. The next was a short pink-haired girl with a massive gun in her hands, wearing an all pink dress. The final woman was fairly average height, with glasses and long cascading purple hair, a purple dress was her apparel, and she had a massive pair of scissors propped up on her side.

"Ah! Night Raid! Hehe, I was right! Let's see here, Leone, user of the Teigu Lionelle. Mine, user of Pumpkin. And Sheele, the Extase wielder! Hehe, this will be exciting, ne Kurome-chan?" The man questioned, turning around to catch the sight of the now-named Kurome remove her hood, revealing her dark-hair and eyes, along with her school-girl outfit, making the Night Raid members widen their eyes slightly. _That girl… She looks just like Akame…_ Leone thought, prepared for whatever these two would throw at them. They had numbers advantage anyway.

"Surely. They might also be friends of Nee-san. Do you see her anywhere?" Questioned Kurome, going over and leaving over the boy's shoulder. "No. It's a shame to. I really wanted to see Aka-chan after all this time. Ooo, I wonder if she got Murasame to connect with her!" The boy squealed, jumping around and grabbing Kurome's shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Oh wouldn't that be wonderful for Aka-chan!?" Shouted the boy, until Kurome grasped his shoulder. "Naruto. We have business." Kurome stated, nodding her head towards the Night Raid members. "Oh yea. I suppose I must introduce myself, it's only kind." The boy replied, stepping forward and removing his cloak, a brilliant head of blonde hair and shining blue eyes revealing themselves. He was wearing a school boy's outfit, a black blazer and red tie blowing slightly in the wind. "Hello! The name's Naruto! Wielder of Shihaaku! (Shi meaning Death and Haaku meaning Grasp, so Death's Grasp) I will be your opponent today! Let's all get stronger from this fight!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air, staring at his opponents.

Leone only observed the strange pair, trying to figure something out. _They know so much about Night Raid it's not funny. And they apparently know Akame from before she even had Murasame mastered, which that in itself is scary. Anyone from Akame's past is sure to be powerful. We must be careful._ Leone thought, looking to Mine and Sheele, nodding slightly. "That's enough Naruto. Stop playing with them. Just kill them already." Kurome ordered, pouting as she stared at Naruto. "Ne, Kuro-chan! They are Aka-chan's friends! I can't kill them!" Naruto pouted back, until Kurome began to glare. "And Akame abandoned us." Kurome stated calmly, a dark aura building. "Maa, you know she didn't!" Naruto exclaimed, until Kurome glared intensely. "Maa, maa. I get it. Women are always right." Naruto muttered, until suddenly his face lost all emotion, much like Akame's face usually.

"I am sorry. But I must eliminate you. If you live, send my regards to Akame." Naruto stated, calmly drawing his sword. The black was an eternal black, the air around the blade darkening considerably as he lowered it, it's tip digging slightly into the floor. He drew the blade back, pointing it around his back and to his left side, leaning down and touching the ground with his left hand while his right gripped the blade. It looked much like a sprinter's stance. "Eliminate." Naruto muttered, suddenly blurring forward and slashing at Sheele's midsection, who just barely managed to block with the blades of Extase. Naruto turned around, spinning into a slash at Leone's midsection, who had rushed him upon seeing him engage Sheele. Leone stumbled back, paw on her midsection as blood leaked.

The Blood splatted against the floor as Naruto flicked his Teigu, the blade now clean. He then began to lean and dip as multiple beams from Pumpkin were shot at him, his dodges perfect each time. Suddenly, after dodging to the left, he dashed forward, blurring in front of Mine. "They say that the gun reacts to the amount of danger you are in. However, it's really linked to your heart-rate. So, it's rendered useless when said Heart-Beat… _stops."_ Naruto informed, kicking at the gun barrel, launching Pumpkin's next more powerful shot into the ceiling, before he leaned in and grabbed the gun, flipping his sword into a reverse grip and slashing upwards, a cut appearing on Mine's thigh and continuing up to her chest. "Agh!" Mine shouted as she fell, Pumpkin landing harmlessly next to her. Blood leaked out slowly from her long gash wound.

Naruto flipped around, dodging a slice from Extase, before he turned once more, slashing at Leone's Achilles tendon, causing the blonde to cry out in pain as she fell forward, flipping to her midsection to defend herself while Lionelle worked to heal her wounds. Naruto set his Katana in a straight-up grip, both hands firmly on the handle as he squared against Sheele, said woman opening Extase menacingly. "The only thing I am good at is killing. I am sorry, Naruto-san, but you must die." Sheele stated, rushing forward and attempting to cut Naruto in half. Naruto ducked underneath the slice, before flipping onto his two hands, jabbing Shihaaku into the ground before kicking up towards the scissors, successfully dislodging Sheele's grip, and launching Naruto into the air, who managed to grab Shihaaku's grip, before he descended upon Sheele. The purple-haired woman was unprepared, and could not dodge. Leone and Mine watched in horror as Naruto landed softly, a shadow covering his face as his blade dug into the ground, a testament to the strength behind the slash. Suddenly, Sheele's body exploded in a show of gore as two halves of her began to separate, falling to the ground. Naruto's clothes were clean, a show of his sheer skill with Shihaaku. The blade began to darken once more, and Naruto's eyes brightened slightly.

"I am sorry. I do hope that Akame-chan isn't hurt too much by this loss. Clearly you two are in no condition to continue. You have 15 seconds to run. Do so, now." Naruto calmly stated, staring at Mine and Leone. "Fuck you!" Shouted Mine, reaching to Pumpkin and pointing it at Naruto, until Leone grabbed her and hoisted the pink-haired woman over her shoulder, dashing away quickly. "What're you fucking doing!?" Echoed as the pair disappeared into the night. Kurome suddenly began clapping happily, running up to Naruto and clinging onto his arm. "Good Job Naruto! Let's go report in!" Shouted Kurome, running out of the room. Naruto looked behind him, making sure Kurome was not there to see what he was about to do.

Confirming that she wasn't, Naruto leaned down and allowed a brighter aura to surround his body as he carefully placed the two halves of Sheele side-by-side, like how the alive body was. The Woman was calm in death, seemingly accepting it. Naruto looked up, watching as he saw a bright ball of light float around slightly. It began to take shape, forming into Sheele. Naruto smiled softly, reaching out to the aspiration of the woman. The ethereal form stepped to it's left, avoiding Naruto's reach. "I will bring you back, even if you are screaming as I drag you from Heaven." Naruto stated, though he knew the soul could not hear him anyway. Naruto reached out more forcefully this time, managing to grip onto the soul, before dragging it downward. Sheele's aspiration began to distort and scream, reaching towards the heavens in vain. "I'm sorry, but your death will make Aka-chan too sad. I do not like the thought of a sad Akame." Naruto muttered, forcefully placing the soul back inside Sheele's body, which remained lifeless.

Naruto grasped the blade, watching as he saw the aura around the blade extend and reach out, drawing in energy from the surrounding area. Plant life outside began to die slowly, withering away into dust. Naruto nodded slowly until he began to gather the energy in the hand that wasn't gripping the blade, touching said hand on Sheele's two halves, a small white glow emanating from said place. "There we go." Naruto whispered, watching as the wound began to close, starting from the end of the wound where Naruto's blade had exited. Slowly, the glow traveled up the wound, said cut disappearing as it went. The light brightened around the entry point, Sheele's left shoulder, before disappearing all together.

The woman began to breathe, slowly at first, until it began to pick up pace. Suddenly, Sheele sat up quickly, looking around until she spotted Naruto, jumping back and raising her fists, reaching into her dress and retrieving a hidden blade she always kept on her. Naruto dropped Shihaaku and raised his hands in surrender. "Easy. Calm down. I just brought you back. You will injure yourself if you keep stressing the new tissue." Naruto explained, watching as Sheele tried to process what he said. "The last thing I remember, you were descending towards me. I could see your blade as it entered my shoulder, and then nothing. What happened?" Sheele questioned, still pointing the blade at Naruto.

"I killed you. It's as simple as that. The blood all over the floor is yours. But, I know your death would deeply sadden Akame. I… I don't like that, not one bit. So I brought you back." Naruto explained, causing Sheele's eyes to widen. "What… What do you mean, _brought me back._ " Sheele demanded, slowly lowering the blade. "My Teigu, Shihaaku. It allows me to have direct contact with life energy. I can see it, I can manipulate it. When someone dies, there is a small window where their soul still exists before it's life energy is returned to the Earth, presumably going to Heaven or Hell. I saw your's, and brought you back. I fully-healed your wound in the process, but again, be careful, The new Tissue is weak when it's new." Naruto explained, calmly sheathing his Katana, which Sheele looked at in a whole new light.

 _He controls life itself with that blade… Just what kind of power did they put into that blade?_ Sheele had to question herself. It was such a strong ability. Suddenly, she looked up at Naruto as he kicked Extase over to her. "Go. Get out of here. I did this without Kurome's knowledge, and I'd like to keep it that way for now." Naruto explained, placing the cloak back over his figure as he disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

Honest smiled cruelly as he loudly munched on a thick chicken wing, the grease coating his face and dripping down his beard. Honest was alone in his quarters, a rare occasion. He was in thought, about a certain blonde by the name of Naruto. _The Boy, he's powerful. But his loyalty is not secured. He is only loyal to that girl, Kurome. I can_ _ **smell**_ _the hate she has for me. Pathetic._ Honest pondered, though his outward appearance did not show the cruel thoughts going through his head. _Surely, if she were…_ _ **removed**_ _, his loyalty would almost surely be all for the Empire. And, possibly even better, me._ Honest then began to plot, a dark aura leaking out of his mouth as he loudly bit into the chicken wing.

 _With Naruto._

Naruto calmly walked through the Royal Palace, looking for Kurome. She had gone off somewhere after having grown bored watching Naruto train. Said blonde had offered her a spar, but she waved him off and left. So now, the smiling blonde was looking for her. "Kurome! Kurome! Come on, don't just leave me like that!" Naruto shouted happily, rounding a corner before slamming into someone, stumbling back and rubbing his head. "Ow… I'm dreadfully sorry, I should've been watching where I was going. Oh! Greetings General Esdeath!" Naruto shouted excitedly, bowing deeply.

The Blue-haired woman merely stared at Naruto's bowing form, clearly uninterested in the blonde. "Yes. Your superior should've taught you awareness." Esdeath remarked, thinking that Naruto was merely a foot soldier. "Oh, well Honest doesn't really talk to me aside of giving me assignments…" Naruto trailed off, peaking Esdeath's interest. "Oh? You work for Honest?" Esdeath questioned, now beginning to observe the boy for all he was worth. He carried himself rather aloof, though the way his eyes would routinely check around him spoke to his training. And the sheathe on his back, Esdeath would bet her left arm it was a Teigu.

"Oh, yea! Me and my friend Kurome! I guess you could say we are his personal assassins. Though, if I were honest, hehe pun, I'd say it's rather boring. He sends us out of missions not worth our time. The last one, three Night Raid members showed up, but even they bored me!" Naruto exclaimed, perturbed. Esdeath's eyes visibly widened slightly. So, the boy had fought Night Raid, three members, and lived well enough to call the event boring. Esdeath smirked, surely he must be strong.

"Walk with me…" Esdeath trailed off, turning around and walking back where she had come from, having forgot or just ignored what she was originally going to do. "Oh, sure! The Name's Naruto by the way. I hope we can find Kurome on the walk. She just left me, I even offered to spar her!" Naruto muttered, sliding his hands down his face in an exasperated manner. Esdeath just observed the boy from the corner of her eye, watching his was a woman of strength. Strength was the only thing that mattered to her, and her favorite hobby was crushing those weaker than her. And, her favorite past time was enjoying a good battle against a strong opponent, before crushing them as well, breaking them in every way posisble. Of course, she wouldn't crush anyone of the Empire, but should Naruto prove to be strong, she could very well draft him into her army to fight alongside her. Besides, she liked the look in his eye, she decided.

"Say, Esdeath, what are you doing back in the Capital? Weren't you supposed to go conquer the Northern Tribes some time soon?" Questioned Naruto, looking to his left into the woman's eyes. She looked into his for a time, before closing her eyes and sighing slightly. "Honest recalled the order, instead telling me that I should wait for something. What that is, I don't know. But, I hope he sends me soon. I heard the Northern Tribe's leader was a strong man, and I fully intend to break him." Esdeath stated, smiling sadistically. "Ooo, a strong opponent! Hopefully he will provide a good fight for you Esdeath! Weak Opponents are just so, so BORING!" Shouted Naruto, grabbing his head and dramatically pulling it backward as he shouted to the heavens. Esdeath smiled, decided that she liked the blonde.

 _Later, In the Capital_

Kurome and Naruto were walking through the outer edges of the capital, near the entrances. They were once more cloaked, however Naruto had his hood off and the cloak was open, draping behind him much like a cape. His sheathe was still mysteriously hidden within the cloth. Kurome led like she always did, the cloak fully covering her appearance. Naruto wasn't smiling, in fact, his face was rather stern. They were sent out to stop a mysterious murderer who had begun a killing spree in this section of the capital, and it was starting to scare some of the more wealthy residents of the Capital, prompting Honest to remove the murderer.

Naruto wasn't bothered by the murderer however, he knew whoever it was would prove to be an easy opponent, for either him or Kurome. What was bothering Naruto was his close proximity to the very evils of the corrupt government, the one he was trapped in. Naruto grunted angrily, retrieving a small paper bag from a pouch on his belt, above his tailbone. Naruto dipped his hand in, and retrieved a small cookie, before putting the bag back in the pouch. Naruto growled as he felt his body die a little, quickly drawing in life energy and reversing the effects with a slight movement of his hand on his chest. He hated what the empire had done to him, but then he would look at Kurome, and all the hate and self-loathing would feel justified, and he would feel soothed.

Naruto growled as he walked past an alleyway, watching as a young woman struggled against two men. Naruto wanted to help, he really did, but he had a job to do. Honest would cut him off from the drugs if he didn't do the job, effectively killing Naruto. It was the only reason the pair stuck around. Kurome had been trying to find a way to get the two of them out of the Empire's clutches, and Naruto trusted that his close friend would accomplish the task, so he was keen to just wait. However, these thoughts did not lessen the self-loathing Naruto felt as he was forced to walk past the disgusting scene.

Naruto hated the Empire he worked for. It was simply disgusting. Corrupt. Worthless. There was so much Naruto would do to destroy the capital, if only they hadn't gotten their slimy grip on him when he was too weak to leave. A dark aura began to surround Naruto as they walked, the sun just about to disappear past the Horizon. That was when the deed would begin. That was when Naruto planned to relieve stress.

 _Midnight._

Naruto's eyes glowed as he scanned the surrounding area for any sign of a Teigu user. Their life-forces tended to be much higher than others. And, with the amount of killings, especially on higher-ranked, strong imperial soldiers, Naruto was willing to bet the murderer held a teigu in their equipment for murder. That was when he spotted a glowing white figure, rushing across the rooftops on houses taller than the ones he and Kurome were on. "There." Naruto muttered, gracefully leaping up and softly landing on the rooftop, blurring into a sprint with Kurome right behind him. The two worked in perfect coordination with each other, avoiding the obstacles of the rooftop with ease as they grew closer and closer to the suspect.

Suddenly, Naruto drew a small silver knife, a Karambit model, in his hand. He gripped the knife, lacing his index finger in the ring hole and placing the knife outwards from his pinkie. An exact copy of the knife found it's way to Naruto's other hand, in the same grip. Naruto began to close the distance between him and the suspect, before suddenly the suspect turned around and threw a hail of medium sized knives, causing Naruto and Kurome to suddenly stop and deflect them all, Naruto with his twin Karambits, and Kurome with a Wakizashi that had a horizontal sheath at the base of her spine. The hail of knives failed, causing Naruto to slowly step forward, before blurring into a sprint.

The large man smiled, suddenly raising his knife and blocking a slash from Naruto's karambit, before said boy spun his body and attempted to gut the man with the other knife. The man merely smirked once more, raising his other knife and blocked that strike as well. "It's foolish boy! Spectator allows me to see all!" The man shouted, jumping back and pointing to the crown-like piece of metal on his head. A brilliant green gem laid in the center. "So, it _was_ you… Zank the Beheader. Thief of Spectator Teigu. Executioner gone-insane." Naruto stated out loud, merely standing and staring at the man. Kurome came up slowly behind Naruto, standing next to him, before blurring into a sprint much like Naruto.

Zank began to dash back, avoiding slashes where Kurome became visible for a fraction of a second. "Foolish girl! I can see your every movement! Spectator's power is unrivaled!" Shouted Zank in a high-pitched voice. Kurome's eyes hardened, before she blurred once more. Kurome appeared once more, her sword held in a two-blade grip by Zank, who smiled insanely at her. "You still believe whole-heartedly that you can kill me!? Ha!" Shouted Zank, having read her mind. Kurome locked eyes with the man, before speaking clearly and coldly. "I just need to step it up." Suddenly, Zank's eyes widened as the girl blurred once more, however this time she remained a blur as she slashed at the man, a few shallow tears appearing in his heavy thick coat. Zank managed to just barely block a few strikes, before he began to wildly look around.

"Where'd… Where'd she go!?" shouted Zank, looking at Naruto to read his mind. Suddenly, Zank dashed back, avoiding a crushing aerial blow from Kurome as she came down, the Wakazashi breaking under the strain of her strike. "Peh, terrible materials." Muttered Kurome, looking to Naruto, only to catch another copy of the blade in her hands, courtesy of Naruto. Kurome stood at the ready, across a rooftop from Zank, as the man growled and raised his head. "You just don't get it! Do you!? I am unbeatable! Allow me to show you exactly… _why._ " Zank's voice morphed in Kurome's ears, and his appearance disappeared, causing Kurome to spin around and look for anything around her. Naruto was suddenly gone. Kurome narrowed her eyes, until she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, to see Naruto calmly walking towards her. "Oh, Kurome-chan! Hehe, I guess Zank got away. Don't worry, we'll get him soon!" Naruto exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.

Kurome narrowed her eyes, but still decided to see if this was the real Naruto. As Kurome began to approach the blonde, suddenly he dashed forward, slashing at her waist. Kurome blocked the first strike, and the second, before suddenly Naruto closed the distance and gripped the wrist of the hand grabbing her weapon, twisting it painfully. Kurome dropped her Wakizashi, jumping up and kicking for Naruto's face. The blonde avoided it, regaining a grip on Kurome's body, her shoulder, before launching forward and stabbing a knife eerily reminiscent of Zank's knives into Kurome's gut. Kurome spat out blood, falling to the ground and leaving forward, gripping her now heavily-bleeding stomach.

For Naruto, all he had watched was Kurome stop, and Zank began to walk forward. Believing that it was simply a plan by Kurome, Naruto refrained from acting. However, once he saw Kurome do the flip and miss, he began to make his way to help. Naruto's mind shut down when he watched the knife enter her stomach though. His whole world slowed down, and he gained an almost supernatural level of clarity, however only for the scene of the knife entering Kurome's gut. He could see the gleam of the knife, could see Kurome's skin split, could see the individual blood drops shoot out. However, the most horrifying to Naruto's mind, was watching Kurome's face wrench in pain and anguish. Naruto lost it, dashing forward and slashing at Zank with a cold fury. Zank took many hits, his entire body being riddled with slashes and bleeding wounds before he managed to jump backward, his entire body bleeding and crying in pain.

"Gah! Stupid Boy!" Zank growled, looking up to see a furious Naruto slowly approaching him. Zank mentally smirked, allowing the boy to get closer. Suddenly, Naruto's world other than the roof he was on lost color, gaining a reddish hue. Naruto looked around, before turning back to see that Zank had disappeared. Naruto's eyes dashed around the landscape as he searched for the man, before suddenly Naruto's ears picked up on a soft pitter-patter of footsteps. Naruto turned, only for his eyes to widen as he saw… a woman. She was shorter than Naruto only by an inch, and had long, cascading red-hair. She was wearing a standard military uniform, and had a sword sheathed on her back. Her eyes were kind and caring.

"Sochi-kun… I've missed you." The woman called out softly, a smile gracing her face as she approached the boy.

 _Outside the Illusion._

Akame and Leone landed quietly on the roof where they had followed Zank's trail too, shocked to find the two assassins that had killed/resurrected Sheele. Leone was angry, but most importantly confused when she looked at Naruto, and shocked when she saw the little Akame-clone bleeding on her knees. Plus, to see the blonde simply standing there, bewildered, worried her, at least, it made her wonder if she could handle Zank.

Akame however, was experiencing so many things. She was shocked and worried to see Kurome bleeding, relieved and confused/angry to see Naruto, and was wondering what exactly could stump the boy from her past enough to have him simply stand there as Zank approached him.

 _The Illusion_

Naruto watched as the red-haired woman approached him slowly, with a care-giving look on her face. It was full of warmth, of love. Naruto's face was just… stumped. He looked almost emotionless. Just standing there. "What's wrong, Sochi? Aren't you glad I'm back from the invasion to come see you?" The woman questioned, gaining pace and reaching out to Naruto with a loving smile. Naruto took a step back, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

"Y-you… You sick Bastard." Naruto whispered. The woman stopped slightly, leaning forward. "What, Sochi?" Her voice was soft, and it pained Naruto to hear it. "I said…"Naruto's head snapped up, a cold fury in his eyes. "YOU SICK BASTARD!"

Akame and Leone watched as Naruto suddenly dashed forward with a blurring speed, and watched as he began to dominate the beheader with ease.

Naruto cut and slashed wherever he could, stopping briefly to grip Zank's throat, flipping his Karambit before digging it into the man's gut, slowly, painfully, with a massive smile on Naruto's face. Naruto pulled it out painfully, dragging the weapon up as he did so, before kicking the man down, the larger man falling a few feet away from the blonde. "Wh-What!? But you were supposed to see your most precious person!" Shouted Zank, backing up slowly with a trail of blood following him. Naruto coldly stepped forward, a dark aura surrounding him as his knives dripped crimson blood.

"Hehe… Ha. HA HA. HAAAA. You think I wouldn't know my mother was DEAD!? ME!? I FUCKING KILLED HER YOU SICK FUCK!" Shouted Naruto, pouncing the man and slashing at him viciously, even when the man's head began to resemble ground beef, Naruto continued to slash furiously. It took a full minute for Naruto to stop slashing at the man's now obliterated head, the Teigu adorning it clanging uselessly against the ground as Naruto stood, showered in blood all over his body. Naruto turned around, the knives in his hands disappearing once he placed them behind him in the cloak.


	3. Chapter 3

_Naruto smiled as he sat down with his older brother. He giggled as he Aniki made a beard out of whipped cream, shaking his face all about and getting the creamy substance on Naruto's shirt._ (AN: Okay, I probably should've used different words there. I'm sorry. ( _I'm too lazy to change it, but not too lazy to type this all out…_ )) _Both boys looked up as the door opened loudly, a tall woman clad in a standard military uniform. Long red hair shadowed her face slightly, and a long sword was held tightly in her right hand._

" _Ah, Mother. I was just enjoying time with little Naruto before planning on heading out to the Cafe. I didn't expect the invasion to end so quickly. A single year… Must've been easy huh?" Questioned the older boy, standing up to approach his mother. The Red Haired woman stopped, slowly lifting her head to reveal a cheshire grin, brilliant white teeth shining in the light coming from the windows. "Yes, it was rather… Simple to invade the Southern Tribes. Hah, those prehistoric peasants couldn't withstand the might of the Empire! My Team just rushed in and tore through their villages along with the rest of the Army! Hahahaha! Wanna see how!?" Shouted the Red Headed Woman, raising her sword and pointing it at the eldest son._

 _Naruto watched as his mother raised a sword to his Aniki, greatly confusing the boy. He watched as the older blonde narrowed his eyes, looking into his Mother's Violet eyes. "So, the Empire's cruelty has broken you… Mother. Please. Put the sword down. You can join the Revolutionary Army. I can get you a spot. Please, just try to work through this." Naruto listened to his Aniki's words, confused by their meaning. It was too much for his young 5 year old mind to understand._

" _Ah! So my own son is a traitor to the Empire? How Cruel! Does Kami care!? Heheh, I guess I shall send you to the Shinigami to beg for Mercy!" Shouted the Woman, suddenly rushing forward and attempting to run the sword through the eldest son's chest. Said Blonde dashed to his left, avoiding the strike and watched as the woman stumbled forward and ran the sword through the wall, all the way to the hilt. As she tried to pry it out of the wall, the blonde rushed over to Naruto and picked the boy up, running further into the house with Naruto in his arms._

" _Ahahaha! I'm coming, you traitorous SCUM!" Shouted the woman, prying the sword from the wall with a mighty heave and rushing the two blondes. She gained speed, catching up to the pair and attempting a slash. The elder brother leaned forward, narrowly dodging the slash. The woman's sword continued it's path, obliterating a pot to its left and slashing the wall. "Hahahaah! Yes! Run! Just like the Children!" The Red Headed Woman's insane yells echoed within Naruto's mind, numbing his thoughts. Could he mother really be this crazed maniac? The loving woman from the prior year?_

 _Naruto's thoughts were cut off as his Aniki received a Diagonal slash between his shoulder blades, running down to his hip. The blonde dropped Naruto and fell to the ground, the younger blonde landing on his back and the eldest landing on his stomach. The blonde woman stalked into the room, the master bedroom, and brutally stepped onto the eldest's back. She held the blade to his neck, grinning maniacally. "Before you die, I'd like to educate you on the Empire's strength. When we first invaded the South, there was determination and hope in their eyes. And then we raided the first village in the dead of night, my superiors instructing us to allow the women and children to run for a mile, inspiring hope in their eyes, before hunting them down like Dogs! Ha! It was glorious!" Shouted the Red Haired Woman, gripping her head with the free hand and drooling from her face-splitting grin._

 _Naruto backed up until his head hit the wall. His ears began ringing loudly until he couldn't decipher what the woman was saying anymore, and he just watched as her figure distorted into that of a red haired demon. Its entire body was black, shadows rolling off of its figure until they touched the floor, becoming blood that began to stretch closer and closer to Naruto. The Blood began to crawl up Naruto's legs once it made contact, long red lines flowing ahead of a sea of blood. Suddenly, the vision vanished as Naruto's eyes gained inhuman clarity, watching as his mother stabbed his brother through the chest in slow-motion. His eyes looked up to catch her eyes, hoping to see a shard of regret. He found nothing but insane glee. Joy. The woman was_ _ **ecstatic.**_

 _Something broke within Naruto at that moment. The boy stood up slowly, eyes hazed over as the woman twisted the blade in his brother's back, the blonde boy howling in pain. Naruto looked to his left, seeing a small celebrational dagger in a glass case. Naruto walked over, slowly lifting up the glass cover and reaching in to grab the dagger. It was made of silver, and gleamed in the sunlight. Naruto ran his left hand over the blade, his face twitching slightly when it cut into his index finger, the crimson blood slowly leaking down the blade until it gathered at the hilt, dripping to the floor. Naruto turned around, watching his mother wrench and twist the blade within his brother's back, the screams growing weaker and weaker._

 _Without warning, Naruto shot forward, his small legs carrying him into a sprint. Naruto's vision was clear, and his actions were meaningful. He placed his right foot behind his mother's left, and leaned in with his torso, stabbing his mother in the stomach with his right hand, and shoving the woman with his left shoulder. The Red Haired woman stumbled back, hitting Naruto's foot and falling onto her back. She howled in pain as blood red began to seep through her uniform. Naruto dropped down, straddling the woman and using his weight to pin her arms, though she seemed content to just howl in pain, seemingly not even noticing the boy._

 _Naruto sat there for what felt like an eternity, just staring at his mother's face. He thought nothing, heard nothing, only saw his mother's howling face. The image split into two, one of the woman's insane, maniacal grin, and the other, the caring, loving face that would wake him every morning the year prior. Then, the caring face distorted and rippled into that of the demon's from Naruto's vision, and Naruto's eyes steeled over. With precision Naruto had not wielded at any point previously in his life, Naruto flipped the dagger in his right hand, snatching it out of the air into a reverse grip, before he lowed it to his mother's neck. For a whole minute, Naruto just sat and stared into his mother's eyes, an insane gleam in them as she stared at him, the knife still at her neck. She did not acknowledge the knife, only looked at Naruto._

" _You should've been there, Naru-chan. The little children reminded me of you!" The woman giggled happily, stopping and smiling softly at her son. Without warning, she grabbed Naruto's wrist and forcefully moved it horizontally, the dagger digging into her throat and cutting her jugular. Naruto watched as the blood poured over his hands, staining them forever as the woman began to cough up blood, the soft smile never leaving her face. "I love you Sochi-kun… May you forgive me in the After Life…" The woman whispered, though Naruto's ears clearly heard it. Naruto's eyes teared as he watched the life drain from her eyes, before he body went limp beneath Naruto._

 _The blonde's shoulders slumped, as he turned around and looked at his Aniki, tears dripping as he noticed the older blonde wasn't breathing. Naruto, the young 5 year old blonde, cried clear tears that fell and mixed in with the blood of his family, pooling around the boy and staining his skin for eternity._

 _Present._

Naruto slowly walked over to Kurome, eyes cold and emotionless as he felt the cold blood drip off of his body through his clothing. Naruto did not react to seeing Kurome in such a state, merely dropping to his knees and gently rolling the girl over, ignoring her moan of pain and reaching behind his back, retrieving a sheathed Shihaaku. Unsheathing the blade slowly, Naruto stabbed the blade into the roof, gripping onto the blade and allowing the familiar feeling of life essence travel to the blade. He turned around, watching as Zank's white light traveled from the air around him to the blade, channeling into the grip and into Naruto's hand.

Naruto guided it through his body with his right arm, two fingers pointed at himself as he did so. Eventually, he had guided it to his other hand, which began to glow a soft green. Naruto let go of the blade, leaning down and ghosting the hand over Kurome's cheek. "Kurome-hime… Don't worry. The pain will be gone shortly. Just calm down." Naruto's soft voice called out, prompting Kurome to slowly open her eyes, locking gazes with Naruto's sapphire eyes. "N-Naru-kun?" Questioned Kurome, flinching slightly and rubbing her arms over her wound.

Naruto palmed her cheek, rubbing away a stray tear. "It's okay Kurome. Just let me touch it." Naruto softly commanded, satisfied when Kurome slowly took her arms away from her stomach, revealing the torn cloth and the bleeding stab wound. Naruto slowly eased his glowing hand onto the wound, watching in happiness as Kurome's face relaxed, the pain fading from her wound. Naruto pulled his hand away, revealing the perfect, pale skin of Kurome's stomach.

"There. Feel better now, Kurome-hime?" Naruto's soft voice called out, causing Kurome to nod slightly. Naruto smiled softly, before scooping the girl up and placing her on his back, going to turn around until he suddenly looked behind him, having heard a footstep. Naruto's Sapphire eyes locked onto the Ruby eyes of Akame's, the two just standing and staring at each other. "Akame-chan…"

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	4. Reupload

Naruto was merely 9 when Gozuki met him, the small blonde's eyes hollow and cold chunks of ice. Gozuki had been beginning preparations for the 100 Children he was going to take in, patiently waiting for the last dozen or so to pop up. That was when he noticed his wallet was gone, shocking the man. Someone had managed to pick pocket, him, of all people. Gozuki's eyes narrowed as he gazed all around him, stretching his neck slightly into the air, showing his former status as a Rakashasa Demon. With the new vantage point, Gozuki had spotted Naruto speedily making his way through the crowd, slipping underneath arms and walking over people sitting on the sides of the market. Gozuki grinned. It was perfect really. He was interested, perhaps this boy would make it through the forest. Who knows.

 _Unknown amount of time later._

Naruto groggily opened his eyes, finding himself in a dimly lit… cavern of some sorts. The ceiling was rugged rock, at least a hundred feet above him in height. Standing lights were all around, on and blazing his eyes into pain when he looked at them. Groaning, Naruto rolled over, only to be harshly kicked away. "Ah. Wh-What the fuck's your problem?" Naruto muttered, rubbing his eyes and still finding the world to be distorted and blurry slightly, until he shook his head, clearing it up ever so slightly.

Naruto raised his head, peering into the eyes of a young boy wearing a tank top and looking angrily at Naruto. "Egh. You little shrimp! You rolled all over my stuff!" Growled the boy, snarling at the boy angrily. Naruto noticed a small crowd gathered around the two, all of them made of children under 12 years old. _What the fuck's going on here… Have I become a fucking Human Trafficking victim now?_ Naruto pondered, only to snap back to reality as the boy from before gripped his collar, pulling the boy in. Naruto stared back into the eyes of the boy, allowing his body to go limp. He could read the boy's emotions pathetically easily.

 _His eyes. They yearn for attention. He must've been neglected, and feels that this gathering is his chance to get some attention. Well then, I'll be kind… I'll show him attention._ Naruto thought darkly, leaning forward and whispering softly. "Mommy never loved you huh? Or perhaps it was Daddy who ignored your very existence?" Naruto watched, and felt, as the boy's body stiffened. "What… What're you talkin' about shrimp?" The boy's voice quivered slightly, so Naruto gripped his wrist and continued, keeping the boy close to him. "You never got any attention from the two people who are supposed to give it to you without hesitation. How's it feel… To know that your own existence is so pitiful that not even those universally-obliged to love and cherish you… _didn't._ " Naruto questioned, watching how the boy's entire world, whatever little strands keeping it together, broke and shattered into a fine dust.

Naruto smirked, standing up and pushing the boy, watching as he fell to his bottom. "Don't worry, I'll show you attention." Naruto stated calmly, watching as the boy looked up hopefully. "Re-Really?" The boy question. Naruto grinned darkly, approaching the boy. "Yes, I surely will…" Naruto whispered, before pouncing the boy. The boy fell to his back, finding that Naruto had pinned his arms with his knees almost immediately. Naruto rubbed his right hands knuckles with his left palm, glaring holes into the boy. "You thought you could get the attention you so desperately desired from a group of stranded kids? Don't worry, you'll get your attention from them, after I beat you senseless!" Shouted Naruto, launching the first strike to the boy's cheek, rattling his head and straining his vision. The boy cried out in pain, alerting the guards around them. Seeing the gathering of children, they rushed forward, pushing through the crowd of young boys and girls, before seizing Naruto and restraining his arms.

"Fucking let go! That little bitch started it!" Growled Naruto, struggling against the guard's grip. "Shut up kid!" The guard holding Naruto down shouted, gripping the back of Naruto's head and slamming it against the ground, stunning Naruto greatly, his head reeling in pain. Naruto growled, reeling back and flipping his body, forcing the guard off of him and quickly jumping upwards, landing on his feet. There was a cold fury in Naruto's eyes, and he fully planned to unleash it on the guard, until two more came from behind Naruto and gripped his arms, restraining him in two separate locks. "Gah! Gr-Le-Let go!" Naruto struggled against his restrainers, until the guard from before came up to him, landing a strike to his gut. Naruto coughed up spit, looking up only to see another fist headed his way. _This is hell._ Naruto remembered thinking as the fist connected, cutting his connection to consciousness instantly.

 _Two Weeks Later._

After Two weeks of his new personal hell, Naruto had managed to gather exactly what was happening. According to the guard's rambling at night when they thought the children were sleeping, a man named Gozuki was gathering 100 children from the empire and putting them in a forest filled with Danger Beasts, planning to gather the one's that survived and take the 7 strongest to form a team of Assassins, the other remaining children, if any, would receive elite training as Assassins, but not the personal training from Gozuki to become truly elite. With that information in mind, Naruto began to plan, fully intending to be one of the seven that were placed on the Elite Seven, the moniker the team had gotten from the guards.

Naruto sat up slightly from his light rest, having roused from the sounds of struggling. Naruto spotted the source quickly, two bundles being carried in from the guards. Two more children had been caught, wonderful. Deciding to greet the two newcomers, Naruto walked over to the struggling bundles, untying the knots at the top of the sacks, watching as the two children emerged quickly. Naruto was a little surprised to see two girls, clearly sisters, emerge from the sacks. The younger one quickly snatched her older sister's arms, black eyes snapping all around the cavern, while the oldest carefully analyzed Naruto with Ruby Red eyes. They both had straight black hair, the younger having two tails of hair and the oldest having a long coat of hair falling down her back. Both had pale skin, and were wearing worn, and torn, baggy blacks outfits.

Naruto crouched in front of the two, catching the youngest's attention and causing the oldest to narrow her eyes, tensing in readiness to attack Naruto. "Easy. I'm not here to hurt either of you. Trust me, I was brought in by those fucks too. Actually, everyone our age here was. We are all being held here against our wills." Naruto explained calmly, observing the two girl's reactions. The Youngest seemed clearly afraid, while the oldest merely accepted the knowledge and cast a glance at the youngest. It was easy to see who was the protector in the relationship.

"Name's Naruto, either of you got names?" Naruto questioned, still crouched in front of the two girls, looking down at their small forms, huddled on the floor of the cavern. The oldest narrowed her eyes at Naruto, while the youngest untangled herself, slightly, from her older sister's arm. "M-my name's Kurome." The girl's voice was small, and scared. It made Naruto's heart bleed slightly. She looked so… vulnerable. More so than the others. It struck a cord within Naruto that he didn't know was there.

Naruto nodded his head towards the oldest, with a small, "You?" The older sister looked at the youngest, receiving a small nod, before she turned and bowed her head towards Naruto. "My name is Akame. May I ask you something?" Her voice was calm and collected, exactly what Naruto expected. He smirked, he'd read the both of them perfectly. "Sure, go ahead. We gotta stick together if we are going to survive." Naruto mentioned calmly, catching the frightened look in Kurome's eyes, and the accepting look in Akame's.

"Why did you ask if we had names? Surely everyone has a name." Akame inquired, looking into Naruto's eyes. The blonde smirked, chuckling a little, before patting Akame's head. "Bah. Not everyone here does. I think about 3 of us here are literally nobodies. No name. No parents. No family. Not even a cent to their name. Makes for some rather interesting people, I'll tell ya that. One of em, we named him Rock, because of his thick ass skull, is determined to survive and escape, to make a name for himself. And then there's this one girl, we call her Silent, because she's really, really quiet. Anyway, she doesn't have any goals, any will to live. She simply exists, going through the motions. The last, his name is Worthless. We call him that because he told us too. He tried to attack me when I first arrived. But, there was something I saw in his eyes." Naruto mentioned, taking a seat with the two girls.

Akame raised her brow slightly, leaning forward and asking, "And what was that?" Kurome seemed equally entranced by what the blonde was saying. "Heh, the kid was neglected. Looking back, I feel bad. But, when I got here, just like you two, just like everyone, I was hostile. Scared. Frightened. Naturally, the Fight or Flight thing kicked in. I used it against him. I broke his psyche, and now he thinks he's worthless because I broke his little world. He sought attention from the kids here, and actually got some once he just gave into his madness. He's a rather good friend, though his talks of worth get annoying." Naruto explained, causing the two girls to look at him in a different light. He had broke another kid's mind, shattered his psyche even. And yet, he had been so nice to them so far.

"N-Naruto, why are you being nice to us?" Kurome questioned, huddling against Akame for support. Naruto raised his head, having dozed off in thought slightly, before he smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Heheh, well, I saw myself in both of you. Just, different sides of me. It's too early to really know who you two are, so I don't mean you as people. But, I saw my reaction in both of you. To this place. To being kidnapped. To waking up, in a strange cavern. I wanted to help. In you, Kurome, I saw the fright, the natural fear that everyone has when the awake to an unfamiliar location. It made me sorrowful for you, and I wanted to help." Kurome's eyes lit up slightly, and Akame gained a new insight into who Naruto was. Naruto then turned to Akame, staring into her red eyes. "And in you, Akame, I saw the fighter part of me. When I got here, after beating Worthless into the ground, the guards tried to seized me. I managed to get out of one's hold, and I went in to deliver a blow, but two guards managed to get me. They've tried breaking me since, but I won't let it happen. Not when I know exactly what's going on." Naruto explained, leaning back on his hands and looking at the girls.

Both Akame and Kurome were a little shocked to have met Naruto in the situation they were in, of all situations, but both were happy and relieved. Naruto was a good friend, they knew that, even if they had just met him. But Akame's mind had picked up on what Naruto had ended with. "What do you mean, you know what's going on?" Naruto smirked, his hair shadowing his eyes. "I knew you'd catch onto that…" Naruto muttered, looking at Akame with amused eyes, before he stood up, placing his hands on his hips. "According to the useless chatter of the guards when they think we are all asleep, a man named Gozuki is gathering 100 children. He's going to put us through a forest filled with Danger Beasts, and the strongest seven who make it out of the forest will be trained directly underneath him, and form a team of Assassins called the Elite Seven. Those that aren't deemed strong enough will be sent to the standard Elite Assassin training through the empire, and will not be part of any team, to my knowledge anyway. I do not know anything other than that, besides the fact that you two are part of the last dozen to be gathered." Naruto informed the girls, a fire lighting in his eyes when he talked of the Elite Seven.

Akame was going to say something, but was stopped when Kurome let go and her and leaned forward towards Naruto, placing her two front hands on the cold ground. "Nar-Naruto… how long have you been here?" Questioned Kurome, staring at Naruto with curiosity. The blonde smiled, leaning down and patting Kurome's head slightly. "I've only been here a little over 2 weeks. Unfortunately, the one who's been here the longest is Silent. Poor Girl's seen too much. I believe she has been here for around 5 months. Before that, I do not know. I'd like to help her, but… She makes it so damn hard." Naruto confessed, glaring into the air for no reason other than to vent anger. Akame stood up, grabbing Kurome's hand and hoisting her up as well. Akame approached Naruto, before nodding to him and saying, "Why don't we go try to help her?" Naruto smiled softly, nodding his head and guiding the two girls over to a corner of the cavern.

 _3 weeks later._

Naruto stood across from a familiar ruby-eyed girl, fists squared, knees bent, and feet spread. His normal fighting stance. Akame stood stiffly, two palms out calmly with a widened stance, dipping lower to the ground than Naruto had. A guard walked forward, raising his hand, before lowering it quickly with a shout of "Begin!". As soon as the man jumped away, the two children rushed each other. Akame's eyes were cold as she went in for the first strike, dipping low to the ground and thrusting a palm towards Naruto's ribcage. The blonde smirked, twisting around and gripping her wrist with his left hand, pulling her towards him and unleashing a right hook that reversed her momentum, launching her backwards. Naruto was a powerhouse when it came to Hand-To-Hand, no one had beaten him from the group of children.

Akame got up quickly, showing no pain as she rushed Naruto once more, hoping to out-speed him. The boy twisted and turned as he dodged numerous palm strike, waiting out his opponent's stamina. Akame had always been a sort of glass cannon in duels, hoping to end it quickly. Rarely did she pace herself, exhausting herself quickly. However, only Naruto ever made her tired. The other's, excluding Kurome, crumpled under the pressure of her aggression. Naruto suddenly dashed forward, rolling on the ground as Akame flew over him, a palm extended. Naruto kicked his feet up, connecting with Akame's pelvis and sending the girl slightly into the air, which Naruto capitalized on by jumping up to meet her, grabbing her lower back and head, before forcing both down, his knee waiting to meet her midsection with great force. The girl coughed up spit, rolling off of his knee once they landed.

"Ne, Akame. Surely, you have gone through the exercises I gave you? You should've been able to escape that hold." Naruto commented, smirking with amusement as the girl shakily got up, once more settling into her stance.

"Yes, Naruto. It is just that you are too strong when it comes to Hand-To-Hand. I am glad to have forced you to dodge. For most others, you would simply catch their strike." Akame spoke calmly, no pain evident on her face as usual. Naruto rubbed his chin, looking up in comical thought, before he jokingly pointed at Akame with an _I got an idea!_ style. "Perhaps it is that I do not need to catch your strikes?" Naruto offered, Akame showing no outward reaction but inside she was boiling. She was not angry, merely disappointed. Naruto was someone she'd grown close too in the past 3 weeks. She knew he was strong, she knew he would be placed on the Elite Seven. He had helped both Kurome and Akame by training them, in hopes that the 3 of them would be placed on the Elite team. Akame was disappointed, for she truly wished she could become a true, helpful ally and friend to Naruto. These days, it felt as if she was a burden.

Fine then. She would prove she wasn't a burden! She would prove that she was a worthy ally to the blonde! Akame's eyes lit ablaze with determination, Naruto smiling happily when he saw the almost glow from her eyes. "Now, Akame, let's see if you can make me catch your strike, ne?" Naruto offered, though his eyes widened slightly when Akame disappeared. ' _Shit. Since when was she that fa-'_ Naruto's thoughts were interrupted as his sternum cried out in pain, Naruto's head flinging down from the force. It was here, that Naruto saw the pale palm connected to his chest, mentally making him smile. Not physically of course, his mouth had been forced open as he took the strike.

Naruto then experienced flight for the first time. He watched as his feet left the ground and both his arms and legs extended outward as the ground blurred beneath them. Time sped up once more for the blonde as he landed, twisting and curling as he rolled on the cavern ground. The blonde's body ended in a torn heap on the ground. Akame stood standing, palm extended and eyes widened as she looked at the blonde's body. She had managed to hit him!? Akame allowed a small smile to mold her face, as she tightened her stance into a ready form once more. She would prove to Naruto that she was a worthy friend.

Naruto groaned as he got up, placing a hand softly on his chest, rubbing it slightly as it ached in pain. "Agh, Akame… I didn't think you'd be that fast. Well then, I suppose I shall have to match your speed. Or, perhaps, I should kick it up a notch, ne?" Naruto questioned, smiling at Akame, before his image blurred and he disappeared. Akame's mind began to realize just how large the gap in skill between her and Naruto was in that moment. He had been downgrading his skills the entire time. She had not truly matched him, she had only gotten to the first stage of his skill. That was when Naruto suddenly appeared in front of her eyes, right fist already on it's path towards her face.

The hit connected, launching her slightly, however her momentum stopped when Naruto's left hand shot out, gripping her throat and extending towards the ground as Naruto's body dropped to a crouch. Akame spat once more as her back connected with the ground, and Naruto's hand hurt her throat with it's pressure. Naruto released her neck, crouching down to stare at Akame, who was groaning in pain. Naruto then wedged his arms underneath the Ruby-eyed girl, picking her up and carrying her princess-style. "I'm sorry Akame. I shouldn't of done that. I'll bring you to the medics right away." Naruto whispered as he looked down at Akame worriedly, checking her over with his eyes for injuries.

Akame smiled, despite her pain. Naruto a friend, through and through. Despite being the one who had given her the injuries, he was making sure she was healed, before checking himself. Of course, she knew it was partially because he didn't need to be checked over, but she knew he'd do the same in any situation. She closed her eyes softly, resting her head on Naruto's arm. She was content in her position

 _Later._

After making sure that Akame's injuries were treated properly, Naruto exited the medical tent and made his way towards Kurome, who was currently sparring with Rock. Kurome was beating down on him, but his thick-head was just absorbing the blows. Naruto looked around, watching as the children were taught by guards, sparred with each other, and did exercises all around him. Naruto could spot Gozuki watching everything from a small observatory he'd created, merely 5 feet higher than the ground, but still, it provided observance for the whole cavern. Naruto realized the man was trying to pick out who he thought would survive the forest, which would be staged in merely a week. The children had two weeks to be trained by the guards, in an attempt to get strong enough to make it out of the forest.

Naruto admired the man's ways, using survival as a motivator was working wonders for those who were weak prior. Naruto did not need the training, so instead he took to training Akame and Kurome. During his pondering, a white-haired girl was walking towards Naruto. Naruto didn't watch where he was going, causing the two to coldie, though neither fell. Naruto looked up, before his eyes widened. "Oh… Hi Silent." Naruto choked out. The girl peered into Naruto's eyes, before she approached him quickly. The girl gripped Naruto's shirt, making him growl. "What're you doi-" "Naruto. I will kill you." Silent's soft voice ceased Naruto's own voice, making his eyes widen. The first words the girl says, ever since Naruto had been there, and since forever according to those who'd been here for longer, and they were a statement about Naruto's death. The girl let go of Naruto's shirt, and calmly walked away once more, making Naruto narrow his eyes.

 _Hmpf. The girl thinks she can kill me. I wonder why, but it does not matter. Should the time come, I will emerge victorious. No matter what._

Those words came back to haunt Naruto in the Forest.


End file.
